In the name of tsunami

The battle of us shrimpers against Indian and Thai imports is not yet over. On April 25, 2005, the us International Trade Commission (itc) voted for reviewing its decision to impose anti-dumping duties on shrimp imports from the two nations. On the ground that they harm the domestic industry, Indian imports face a tariff of up to 13.42 per cent and Thai imports up to 6.82 per cent. But the voting was held in view of the damage caused in India and Thailand by the December 2004 tsunami. The two nations had also approached the World Trade Organisation against the move (see Down To Earth, 'Wronged', February 28, 2005).

itc will now probe if "changed circumstances" have sufficiently reduced Indian and Thai shipments. But us shrimpers are livid. "Three months after the itc unanimously found shrimpers were being injured...we have to demonstrate again that dumped imports from India and Thailand still injure us," complained Joey Rodriguez, president of the Southern Shrimp Alliance.